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The biggest bennie of the Navy is it's pay. The rest blows.
Beginning in my 4th year, I got $65k SRB for each 4 year re-enlistment. My first Re-up we were paid up front, after that they changed it to half up front and the rest divided in annual installments. Up until after you have 15 years in.
During most of my career, I got:
BAQ,
BAS [when I was not under]
COLA, VHA,
Sub pay,
Career sub pay,
Sea pay [when I was under]
Career sea pay,
Sea pay kicker,
Female separation pay [when I was under]
All in addition to base pay and being tax-exempt.
I know that SRB went up since then it is now capped at $90k.
Once again COLA is standard across all branches depending on your location...if it is high cost you will get it. If an Army guy in location A is getting COLA and a Air Force guy is also at location A he will also get COLA.
The sub pay/sea pay applies to the Air Force in the form of flight pay and that is only if you fly on planes. Some jobs always stay on the ground which the Navy has as well.
Female separation pay I take it you mean family separation allowance which is $250/month and all branches get that too.
If you are deployed your income is tax free, but that is the only time in any branch.
Re-enlistment bonuses are a big thing in the Air Force and depending on your job, rank, and how many years you are re-enlisting for will determine how much you get. If you were on submarines you were probably in a critically manned career field in the Navy and just because your SRB's were large doesn't mean every person in the Navy gets a big one too.
So how does the Navy make so much more than the Air Force again?
The sub pay/sea pay applies to the Air Force in the form of flight pay and that is only if you fly on planes. Some jobs always stay on the ground which the Navy has as well.
I think this is true to some extent, but if you're a pilot in the Navy or aircrew you would get sea pay and flight pay.
Also, you get sea pay regardless if you're on deployment either in port or at sea. Technically, you could get sea pay for 20 years if you went from sea duty station to sea duty station, but that's for lifers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaStA
If you are deployed your income is tax free, but that is the only time in any branch.
No true, there are people stationed in Bahrain that get tax-free pay, although their rotation is about every three years or so.
I think this is true to some extent, but if you're a pilot in the Navy or aircrew you would get sea pay and flight pay.
Also, you get sea pay regardless if you're on deployment either in port or at sea. Technically, you could get sea pay for 20 years if you went from sea duty station to sea duty station, but that's for lifers.
No true, there are people stationed in Bahrain that get tax-free pay, although their rotation is about every three years or so.
Well people in the AF get flight pay every month even though most of them only fly a couple days a month. Either way all branches have their pros and cons. Not everyone gets the special duty pays in all branches so to say you make more in one branch than another is just a biased opinion without any FACT to back it up.
Seems Bahrain would be considered a deployed location to me. May also get a combat duty pay of some sort while you are there too. Qatar is a deployment area for us and those pays and tax free advantage would apply. Oh well either way if a area is tax free for one branch it is tax free for the other once again...
...
Also, you get sea pay regardless if you're on deployment either in port or at sea. Technically, you could get sea pay for 20 years if you went from sea duty station to sea duty station, but that's for lifers.
... No true, there are people stationed in Bahrain that get tax-free pay, although their rotation is about every three years or so.
Wearing dolphins gets you subpay. You could be on a sub, or not. Once within the sub fleet and qualified, then you get paid.
With the 'sub-gate' regs, you can rotate to a shore duty tour for up to 4 years and continue to receive sub pay.
When I was in Italy doing Law Enforcement, I served along side AF and Army personnel. Because of Kosovo, we were 'within' the theater. They made a big deal about getting 'tax-free' status. Whereas I had been there for 2 years and had been tax-free all along. Being within that theater did not change my tax status. Nor did it stop me from collecting subpay.
My tax free status began in 1983, and ended in 2001 when I retired.
Also once you have completed 3 years at sea then you get the sea pay kicker. While you may go to shore duty and lose the sea pay and it's kicker, the minute you step back onto sea duty again, both sea pay and the kicker start up again.
Of course BAQ and COLA/VHA are year around and are not connected to being at sea or shore.
So what have learned from this thread? Specific MC/CG pays are somewhat unknown...
Odds are very good that you will make the most in navy as you will probably be on a ship...
Followed by the Army as odds are you'll be deployed for at least half your enlistment...
I'm an ROTC graduate. Earned my degree and entered the Army. That's one way to have your tuition paid for.
I have soldiers in my unit that have earned their bachelor's degree while working using tuition assistance. You really have to have a very stable job, little deployments to get your degree this way. Much of it is online not the contemporary way of earning a degree. I'm not sure what the quality of education will be.
Another option is using a GI-Bill and going to school after your Army committment is over. Not sure what the Army is paying. Each MOS/job get different benefits throught this program.
I'd recommend earning an ROTC scholarship - more conventional way to earn a degree with time on a campus, attending classes as a regular student. But it all depends on his goals in life.
And if you want a real challenge and the prestige that goes with it; graduate from a service academy; West Point, Annapolis or the USAFA in Colorado Springs, CO!
The Air Force pays 100% of your tuition, up to certain limits ($4500 a year) but it goes far because active duty get discounts. I have two associates, a bachelors, and am starting my Masters. I'll get out with all this and not have paid a cent. Not only that, but I'll still have my GI Bill to use when I get out... or transfer to my spouse/kids.
And if you want a real challenge and the prestige that goes with it; graduate from a service academy; West Point, Annapolis or the USAFA in Colorado Springs, CO!
OR....You're in Virginia, Go to the Virginia Military Institute.
The Air Force pays 100% of your tuition, up to certain limits ($4500 a year) but it goes far because active duty get discounts. I have two associates, a bachelors, and am starting my Masters. I'll get out with all this and not have paid a cent. Not only that, but I'll still have my GI Bill to use when I get out... or transfer to my spouse/kids.
This is great news Dmarie, congrads! The majority of people I know do not take advantage of the educational benefits...Here's a tip if you didn't already know and want multiple masters...Finish all but one class of your of the degree plan, such as advanced marketing...Then switch your major and the do all but one class, etc...Do it until you can't take school anymore then take that marketing class and get multiple degrees!
Every service including the CG has the $4500/year tuition assistance and free CLEP/DSSTs. The army offers an additional GI Bill kicker which can be used for the old or new GI Bill for certain jobs...
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